Benjamin Moore & Co. & Orchard Supply Hardwareform Strategic Alliance

(MONTVALE, NJ –JANUARY, 2012) – Benjamin Moore & Co., the country's leading premium paint manufacturer and a Berkshire Hathaway company, and Orchard Supply Hardware, a California-based home improvement retailer, have formed a strategic alliance that will yield distribution of the revered 129-year-old paint brand through the chain's stores statewide. Currently, Orchard has 87 stores and plans to add another three this year.

In jointly announcing the new relationship, both companies acknowledged that Benjamin Moore will be Orchard's exclusive supplier of architectural paint. Orchard's Benjamin Moore product lineup will include Regal® Select, ben®, Concepts®, Arborcoat® Exterior Stain, and Imagine by Insl-x®, along with selected primers and applicators. Benjamin Moore's award-winning low-VOC Aura® paint will be available in select Orchard stores only. Orchard plans to begin selling Benjamin Moore paint in selected markets in early April, with all locations carrying the product offerings by end of summer.

According to Benjamin Moore's Vice President of Sales, Dan Calkins, "Orchard's own increasing growth in California and its well-earned reputation for carrying quality products and delivering exceptional customer service make it an attractive partner for Benjamin Moore. This alliance allows us to broaden our supply in the hardware channel, further engaging the convenience-driven DIY shopper. Consistently, Benjamin Moore is consumers' brand of choice, preferred for its quality of performance and unrivaled color leadership. In 2011, we were ranked highest in consumer satisfaction by the J.D. Power & Associates annual survey, so it makes sense to partner with the preeminent California retailer and help the state's homeowners more readily find Benjamin Moore products."

Mark Baker, Orchard's President and CEO, said, "Paint is a key growth opportunity and focus for Orchard, and we believe this strategic partnership with Benjamin Moore will provide our customers with the highest-quality paint solution found anywhere in California. The combination of superior products and expert customer service is what has set Orchard apart from our competitors for more than 80 years."

Orchard Hardware Supply was founded as a purchasing cooperative in San Jose in 1931. The stores average approximately 44,000 square feet of enclosed retail space and approximately 8,000 square feet of exterior nursery and garden space, carrying a broad assortment of merchandise across three primary categories: repair and maintenance, lawn and garden, and in-home products. www.osh.com.

Benjamin Moore & Co. was founded in 1883, and has been an innovator in the industry since its inception, distinguished for developing paints and other coatings that represent breakthroughs in technology. Color is its hallmark, with more than 3,500 hues. www.benjaminmoore.com.